Plating fixture



March 27, 1945. J. 'r. sAAs I PLATING FIX'IE'URE Original Fild Nov. a, 1945 INVENTOR; JQMES 7 5/945 Away/vans Patented Mar. 27, 1945 PAT Nr oFFICE v rm'rmc James T. Saas, Rocky River, Ohio v I 7 Original application November 8, 1943 Serial No.

509,360. Divided and this 71, 19.44, Serial Not 521,301

application February 4 Claims. (01. 204 297) is a semi-cylindrical clamping member .26. Ad

This invention relates to electroplating apparatus, and more particularly to fixtures for supporting the articles to be plated in electrolytes.

The general purpose and object of the invention is to provide, for fixtures of the above nature, novel, simple and effective means for "supporting cylindrical cathode elements in an electrolyte.

I accomplish the foregoing object in and through the construction and arrangement of parts shown in the drawing, whereinFig. 1 rep- I resents a sectional view taken through an"electroplating tank wherein my supporting means is shown and Fig. 2- a detail in sectionjcorresponding substantially to the line 2-4 of Fig. 1 and looking in the directionof the arrows.

Describing the various parts by reference charactors, I denotes a positive bus bar and 2 a negative bus bar which are shown as extending above and spaced from the tank 3 containing the electrolyte, the level of which is indicated at 3. l5 denotes one of the opposite side members of a frame, each of the said side members being extended beyond the ends of the frame proper and each having its end bent upwardly and provided with a hook 6 for engagement with the bus bar I. These sides members are connected by an end cross member I having "at each end thereof a flange I secured to a side member by a bolt 8. The opposite ends of the side members are connected to an end cross member 9 made of insulating material. H denotes a cathodehanger which is secured to the cross member 9, as by means of bolts 12, the said cathode hanger being provided with an upwardly extending hooked end I3 adapted to engage the negative bus bar 2. I4

denotes a cathode hanger which is secured to aplate l5 of insulating material as by means of bolts I6, the said plate being connected to and suspended from the central portion of the end cross member 1 as by means of bolts l1,

Each of the side members 5 is shown as provided with a plurality of holes 18 for the reception of the threaded ends ofscrew bolts I9 by means of which and a clamping plate (not shown) a suitable number of anodes 2| may be secured to each of the said side members, the anodes projecting downwardly into the electrolyte, preferably .as far as the bottoms of the cathode hangers II and I4. Two such anodes are shown, for purposes of illustration.

His a supporting base in the form of a bar having its opposite ends secured to the cathode hangers II and H! by means of bolts 23. Rigidly secured to said base, as by welding material 21,

' of the tubular justably secured to the base is the opposed semicylindrical clamping member '28 the adjustment of thesame being obtained by providing the .base of the said member witha flanged foot 29,, preferably gformed with the bottom or base ofsaid'memher and resting upon the bar 25 and projecting toward and preferably havingits vouter endlec ated within the lconfinesofzthe member 28. This foot is provided with an opening 30 for'the reception of a bolt ill, the opening being somewhat lar er thanthe diameter of the bolt and the head 31 of thebolt en aging the surface of the foot which is remote from the supporting base 25. The stem of the bolt extends through the said base 25 and is provided on the end thereof with p a nut 32. Each of the iclampingmembers 26 and 28 is provided with a plate or wall 33, 34 secured :to-the inner wall thereof, as by welding.- These plates or walls extend substantially parallel with the edges or their respective members, and the plate orwall 33 is provided with a threaded openmg '35 for engagement by the thread of a thrust bolt 36, which extends through the outer wall of the member 23 and is adapted to engage the plate or wall 34 with its inner end.

,In practice, the external diameter of the tubeengaging cylinder-which 15 formed When the edges .01 the .memoers 261and'28'are in contact Wlll be only .sumcientiy less than too internal diameter member witni-nwhicn the said members are to be inserted-as to provide a good workrngclearanceso that, when the members are separated or expanded, as indicated in the drawmg, there will be a substantially unbronen contact between- .the exterior surraces OI me said members and the inner surface 01' the tubular 0r cylindrical member 31 (indicated in dot-and-dash lines) which is supported thereby. The external portions or the members 25 and 28 which are adapted to engage the inner surrace of the tubular article 31 are shown as of less diameter than the remaining portions of the said members whereby shoulders 26 and 28 will be provided between thev external surfaces of each or" said members, which shoulders serve to assist in positioning the tubular object upon the clamping members.

From the foregoing, it will be evident that I have produced a simple and most efiicient expansible clamp for tubular cathode members; also that various changes may be made in details of bodiments of.my invention shown and described herein but without departing from the spirit of my invention.

This application is a division of my application Serial No. 509,360, filed November 8, 1943.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: r

1. In an electroplating apparatus, means for supporting a hollow object within the electrolyte of said apparatus, said means comprising a base bar adapted to form part of a cathode support, a hollow supporting member rigidly secured to said base bar, and a complementary hollow supporting member having a foot therewithin adapted to rest upon the base bar and projectin toward the interior of the other supporting member, the said supporting members having each an outer wall provided with an external surface shaped to conform to the inner surface of a hollow object to be supported thereby, a bolt extending through the base bar and through an opening in the said foot, a nut on said bolt for clamping the second supporting member to the base bar, and a bolt extending through the external wall 7 of the first mentioned supporting member and adapted to engage an internal portion of the second supporting member thereby to separate the said members and to enable the external surfaces thereof to engage the inner surface of a hollow object to be supported thereby.

2. In an electroplating apparatus, means for supporting a hollow object within the electrolyte of said apparatus, said means comprising a base bar adapted to form part of a cathode support, a hollow supporting member rigidly secured to said base bar, and a complementary hollow supporting member having a foot therewithin adapted to rest upon the base bar and projecting toward the interior of the other member, the said supporting members having each an outer wall provided with an external surface shaped to conform to the inner surface of a hollow object to be supported thereby, means for adjustably clamping the foot of the second supporting member upon the base bar, and a bolt extending through the external wall of the first mentioned supporting member and adapted to engage an internal portion of vthe second supporting member thereby to adjust therelative positions of said members and enablethe external surfaces thereof to engage the inner surface ofla hollow object said base bar, and a complementaryhollow supporting member having a foot therewithin projecting toward the interior of the other member and resting upon the base bar, the said supporting members having each an outer wall provided with an external surface shaped to conform to the inner surfaceof a hollow object to be supported thereby, a bolt extending through the base bar and through an opening in the said foot ror clamping the second member adjustably upon the base bar, a wall extending across the interior of the first mentioned supporting member, a wall extending across the interior of the second supporting member and opposed to the wall within the first supporting member, and a bolt extending through openings in the walls of the first supporting member and having a threaded engagement with one of said wall and engaging the wall within the second supporting member whereby, by adjustment of said bolt, the ends of the supporting members which are remote from the base bar may be separated thereby to insure a substantially continuous clamping engagement of the outer surfaces of the same with the interior surface of a hollow article within which such ends are inserted.

4. In an electroplating apparatus, means for supporting a hollow object within the electrolyte of said apparatus, said means comprising a base bar adapted to form part of a cathode support, a hollow supporting member secured to said base bar, and a complementary hollow supporting member slidably mounted upon said base bar, means for clamping the second supporting member to sacd base bar, the said supporting members having each an outer Wall provided With an external surface shaped to conform to the inner surface of a hollow object to be supported thereby, a wall secured to the interior of the first 4o mentioned supporting member, a thrust wall secured to and within the second supporting member and opposed to the wall within the first supporting member, and a bolt extending through an opening in the outer wall of the first supporting member and through and having threaded engagement with an opening in the wall within the said member whereby, by adjustment of said bolt, the inner end thereof may engage the thrust wall within the second supporting member, whereby the ends of the supporting members which are remote from the base bar may be sepparated thereby to insure a substantially continuous engagement of the outer surfaces of the same with the interior surface of a hollow article within which the remote ends of the supporting members are inserted.

JAMES T. SAAS. 

